SMU Thetas celebrate their new member class on Bid Day 2017
Accepted to Southern Methodist University? Congratulations!
SMU has a strong Greek system, and tons of great sororities to join. Here, formal recruitment takes place in the spring (fall recruitment is for upperclassmen only).
Sorority Recruitment Schedule (2024 sorority recruitment schedule is yet to be announced)
Below is SMU’s 2023 spring recruitment schedule from this most recent recruitment:
- OPEN HOUSE (DAYS 1 & 2) – JANUARY 9 & 10 –> (PNMs go and visit ALL 7 chapters)
- What to wear: Any SMU t-shirt, PNM’s choice
- What happens: Quick get-to-know-you conversations with chapter members.
- PHILANTHROPY DAY (DAY 3) – JANUARY 11 –> (PNMs return to a max of 6 chapters, but could have less / none)
- What to wear: Panhellenic-provided t-shirt that was given out at the last and final mandatory orientation meeting. *This changes from year to year.
- What happens: Sororities play videos that showcase more information on their philanthropy. Many sorority chapters will have a craft that the PNMs will work to complete while learning more about each chapter’s unique philanthropies.
- SISTERHOOD DAY (DAY 4) – JANUARY 12 –> (PNMs return to a max of 4 chapters, but could have less / none)
- What to wear: Something you’d wear to a nice birthday dinner. No denim. Think dresses, mini-skirt + sweater/bodysuit combos & knee-high boots, or leather pants + sweaters with heels.
- What happens: Sororities share more about their sisterhood and what they’re looking for in their future sisters.
- PREFERENCE DAY (DAY 5) – JANUARY 13 –> (PNMs return to a max of 2 chapters, but could have 1 / none)
- What to wear: Cocktail dresses (any color) and heels.
- What happens: Cuts narrow it down to a maximum of 2 chapters, where PNMs have longer conversations. Each chapter shares a small tradition with the PNMS.
- BID DAY! – JANUARY 14 –> (PNMs who make it to bid day receive a MAX of 1 bid.)
- What to wear: Athleisure – black/dark gray leggings, a long-sleeved white shirt, and sneakers.
- What happens: Cuts narrow it down to a maximum of 2 chapters, where PNMs have longer conversations. Each chapter shares a small tradition with the PNMS.
Fall Semester & Pre-Recruitment MUST-KNOW INFO
RUSH DATES: The unique thing about SMU’s sorority recruitment is that all the chapter members ask PNMs on “rush dates” during the fall. These begin on syllabus week – the first week of classes. Think of invites like coffee, breakfast, lunch, dinner parties, or going out. They (the sororities require their members to do this) because the sorority girls aren’t allowed to vote on you during recruitment unless they’ve met you. This is super important!! GO on as many of these as you’re invited on. Having the cutest outfits during rush is FUN but it will not help you if you have not met enough girls who are eligible to vote for you come January.
The more rush dates a PNM goes on, the more sorority girls she meets. The more sorority girls she meets, the better position she’ll be in during formal recruitment.
But if the chapters don’t know you, they can’t get excited about you and ask you out on rush dates. It’s like expecting a cute guy from one of your 100+ person college classes who doesn’t know you yet to ask you out. You could be the cutest, sweetest, most interesting girl in the class, but if you haven’t introduced yourself, a date’s pretty unlikely, right?
Don’t yet know any sorority girls yet? That’s perfectly ok!
Let’s talk about how to maximize your chances of getting on the recruitment team’s radar and getting those dates.
This brings us to….Letters of Recommendation / also called Recruitment Information Forms (RIFs). If you do not know anyone in the chapters (and even if you do) you should STILL obtain these. SMU has an extremely competitive recruitment process, and you absolutely need these if you plan to rush here. Why? Aside from the fact that turning these in shows interest, if you don’t personally know anyone and you aren’t able to register for recruitment until September (when SMU’s registration goes live), turning in Letters of Recommendation helps the chapters 1) know of your existence, and 2) get to know you beforehand and learn more about how awesome you are. And because doing so increases your likelihood of being asked on these rush dates in August and September.
Important date to remember: most PNMs get these in over the summer, prior to the fall semester. If the fall semester has started and you haven’t turned yours in yet – do so ASAP. (We can help navigate this entire process, but we can’t do anything after the window to turn them in closes.) What are Letters of Recommendation (LORs), Recruitment Information Forms (RIFs), and Letters of Support (LOS)? Read our 5-min blog post.
If you’re not sure if you’ve missed the window for recommendations, contact us ASAP and we can help you fully understand what to do / when it’s due / and how to expedite this process.
Other SMU Rush Requirements:
- Mandatory Information Sessions (usually 2-3): These occur during the fall semester, and potential new members are required to attend both in order to be eligible for spring recruitment / rush.
- Sorority Philanthropy Events – Events vary from sorority to sorority. Each chapter has annual philanthropy events and PNMs should absolutely go (you don’t need an invite from a member – anyone can purchase a ticket at the door).
- Since 2020, SMU has introduced a NEW recruitment video assignment that has stuck around for their 2021, 2022, and 2023 recruitment – PNMs are to create and submit a recorded video of themself or complete an essay to help the sororities get to know them better prior to recruitment. PS – need help? We’re here to help you with this and any other last-minute-requirements they throw your way. Tons of other schools have already been hard at work on these videos, and we have already developed a PNM Recruitment Video Guide + scriptwriting best practices and tips. We can work with you 1×1 to knock this out.
- Spring Semester Mandatory Orientation Meeting: This always takes place the day before formal recruitment begins. This year’s in-person orientation was on the afternoon of January 8th, 2024. Attendance is mandatory in order to participate in recruitment.
List of SMU Sororities:
The links below take you to each of their official, chapter-run websites.
- Alpha Chi Omega
- Chi Omega
- Delta Delta Delta
- Delta Gamma
- Gamma Phi Beta
- Kappa Alpha Theta *SMU’s Theta chapter has been suspended for 2 years as of July 2022 (did not participate in formal 2023 recruitment and suspended through spring recruitment 2024.)
- Kappa Kappa Gamma
- Pi Beta Phi
Per SMU’s 2023 recruitment requirements:
- First-semester, first-year potential new members must complete & pass 12 college credit hours in the previous semester to join (defined as fall or spring term). These hours may be completed at a previous institution. Upper-class potential new members must have a demonstrated ability to meet this requirement. (Dual credit & AP credit do not count). *Note from Hiking in Heels – while allowed, upperclassmen (junior and seniors) participating in sorority recruitment is rare at SMU – it’s mostly freshmen and sophomore PNMs signing up.
- Achieve a 2.5 GPA; cumulatively and in the previous semester (Note individual chapters may have higher GPA requirements) *Note from Hiking in Heels – there are NO EXCEPTIONS made for this. See our TikTok on 3 SUPER important spring recruitment tips here…
- Not be placed on conduct probation or higher with the Office of Student Conduct & Community Standards at any point in the current or previous semester to joining or initiation.
- *Transfer students will need to provide a transcript to show that the academic requirements above have been met at their previous institution. Transfer students should still plan to register by any deadlines set by the council they are interested in.
Planning to rush this spring at SMU? Consider working with the first and only sorority rush coaching program in Texas (and the first of its kind in the nation). A lot of the big decisions with rushees involve paperwork and are made months before recruitment.
Hiking in Heels was featured in the August 2018 Issue of Cosmopolitan Magazine
We know exactly what the Director of Recruitment Records is looking for on your resume, how the houses will rank your rec letters on a scale (and how you can get a higher ranking), how best to prepare your rush packets, how the bid list ordering and cut process works, and what you should actually be discussing during each round. (Hint – it’s not what the Panhellenic guides will tell you in the links above.)
Working with a rush coach maximizes a rushees odds and gives your daughter an advantage long before she steps foot on campus for recruitment so she can go in more relaxed and confident.
It’s just like the SAT – it’s better to go in prepared. Let’s get you (or your daughter) recruitment ready.
To apply for the Hiking in Heels program, which was nationally recognized in Cosmopolitan Magazine, call us at (512) 827-7586 or click here to ask any questions you may have.